Wilma Theatre, the resident Philadelphia company known for its stagings of contemporary plays, presents its first Shakespeare production, Macbeth — with CJ Wilson and Jacqueline Antaramian as Macbeth and his Lady — starting Sept. 29.

"I was very much inspired by an anonymous diary, 'A Woman in Berlin,'" Zizka said in production notes. "The author captures in the most unsentimental fashion the destruction of Berlin in the last weeks of World War II. For that reason, our production starts in the moment of history when a modern civilization is crumbling, the time is moving backwards, tribal impulses come to surface, raw ambitions and desires roam free, and disorder and chaos give rise to renewed beliefs, superstitions and witchcraft."

According to Wilma notes, "Tempted by the prophecies of three mysterious witches, Macbeth's ambition to be King of Scotland leads him into a nightmarish world of evil, deceit and murder. Monstrous actions run rampant as he and Lady Macbeth lose themselves to unstoppable drives of savagery and political atrocity. Featuring spectacular choreography, original music, and stunning visuals, this classic tale of power and madness promises to be like nothing audiences have ever seen on the Wilma's stage."

This is Wilson's debut on the Wilma stage. He recently appeared in Off-Broadway's Happy Now?, plus Broadway's A Steady Rain, Festen, Henry IV, Long Day's Journey into Night and The Best Man. Antaramian returns to the Wilma stage, where she was seen in 9 Parts of Desire, for which she won a Barrymore Award for Best Actress (2006). She was also nominated for Best Supporting Role for her portrayal of Jihane and Nawal (age 40-45) in the Wilma's 2009 production of Scorched. She also appeared in Off-Broadway's The Immigrant, the musical.